Happy Due Day!
Well today is our due date, by our calculations at least, and no signs of labor yet. So, I'll take this opportunity to describe our plans for labor. This is how it is "supposed" to go, who knows what is actually going to happen when the time comes!When Susan thinks she is in labor (i.e. having regular contractions that don't go away if she changes positions or takes a shower), then we'll call our doula, Beth. (A doula is a woman hired to provide support to a laboring woman. They don't provide medical advice or deliver the baby; they do provide emotional support, massage, encouragement, food, and practical advice for the mother and father from a perspective of someone who has been to many births. You can read about them here and here).
We plan to do as much of the first stage of labor (which might last 8-12 hours) as possible at home with just Paul and Beth present. This will allow Susan to be as comfortable as possible while she concentrates on the work of labor without the distractions or rules that go along with being in the hospital. When Susan is in hard labor and getting close to the pushing part (contractions at least one minute long and less than three minutes apart), we'll head in to the hospital to deliver the baby. There, we'll be in the care of our midwife, doctor, and the hospital labor & delivery nurses. Once our little girl is born we'll be transferred up to the recovery room where we plan to stay for around 24 hours, while Susan recovers and gets to know the baby and how to breastfeed her. Finally we all get to home home and begin our new life together!
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